The Whitey Album in Bloomington, MN

On its initial release,
The Whitey Album
was treated like a collaboration between
Minutemen
bass virtuoso
Mike Watt
and
punk rock
revolutionaries
Sonic Youth
. This would have been a perfect match, with two enormous talents coming together for an entire album. But in reality it is far stranger than that: a highly experimental tribute to
Madonna
performed by
with the exception of one song that is entirely played by
without any other musicians accompanying him. The
DGC
re-release features a cleaner sound and the original packaging from the 1988
SST
version, along with liner notes written by
Watt
explaining his small role in the project. His song, a cover of
's
"Burnin' Up,"
is a smooth, groovy home recording that showcases his rich voice.
takes a shot at
"Into the Groove"
(renamed
"Into the Groovey"
) and manages to mold a fantastic dirge out of the original.
Thurston Moore
's lazy vocals pair up with
's sampled voice seamlessly, and the low-quality production only adds to the homegrown feel. Besides
Kim Gordon
karaoke
remake of
"Addicted to Love,"
little else on this album resembles a normal song. Edgy
noise
experiments and heavy sound manipulation make these songs more than interesting, and the emphasis on
dance
rhythms keeps things from getting too unlistenable. Although the song order is questionable (after the first song there is a minute of silence), this album is incredibly fun and experimental. Although it was only a side project, the intense creativity of this time in
's career spills out all over this album, making it a rare treat for fans. ~ Bradley Torreano